The present invention relates to data access and analysis systems, and more particularly to an object oriented, interactive data access and analysis system.
Presently, computerized request and analysis of data are handled in a variety of ways. An individual request may be handled on a case by case basis by the management information systems department, or a user may obtain the required data or analysis by using various programming languages. A user may also extract the data from a spreadsheet or utilize various types of query tools.
For in-depth data analysis, these options are often time consuming and frustrating to a user. These types of requests and analysis require the user to learn a programming language, understand and manage data structures, search through a long list of report/file requests, search through a long list of queries, learn query language syntax, and remember previously used steps in order to repeat a previously executed analysis. The required knowledge level limits the number of individuals able to analyze and/or request data.
Each of the above-mentioned methods of data request and analysis are normally utilized separately, often from different computing environments. This prevents users of computing systems and databases from completing an analysis in a timely fashion due to the time required to switch between computing environments. Present systems providing comprehensive access and analysis are normally supported from a single desktop computing environment utilizing modal, procedural query tools. In existing products an analyst constructs, executes and saves queries. A single analysis may require the construction of many queries, each of which must be saved, located and executed in the correct sequence when the analysis is repeated. With typical query tools, the business analyst""s usual array of reports, files, and extract programs are replaced with an array of queries. Additionally, any path of reasoning taken during an analysis must be remembered when the analysis is repeated. Thus, a need has arisen for a data analysis and access system that provides a user the ability to analyze data without requiring in-depth data structure and query language knowledge.
The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other problems with an object oriented system for accessing and analyzing data through a central processing unit such as a desktop computer. This system allows a user to carry out complex and multilevel analysis upon various types of relational databases without requiring the user to first obtain in-depth knowledge of database structure and structured query language syntax requirements. The system provides a non-modal user interface allowing a user to interactively operate the system through a plurality of graphics objects.
The graphics objects provide the user with the means to visually manipulate a number of analysis objects for creating an analysis networks. The graphics objects generate a number of icons representative of the various analysis objects and databases on a computer display of a central processing unit. By utilizing mouse actuated drag and drop techniques, databases are moved into the analysis network and analysis functionalities are applied to the database by placing various analysis objects into the analysis network and interconnecting them.
Analysis control objects interpret the generated analysis network and provide access to the data designated by the generated analysis network. The data access objects obtain physical data structure, logical data names and logical variable classifications from a metadata management facility. The data access objects also generate the structured queried language controlling the access and analysis of selected databases in response to the data analysis network.